Research

Housing affordability is a complex issue with many moving parts. While some parts of the problem are beyond the domain of the federal government, in particular the supply of land, the federal government can play an important role in helping make housing more affordable. Loans for residential rental property have expanded rapidly, increasing from 16 per cent in 1992 to 40 per cent in 2014. Rapidly increasing numbers of rental properties has l... Read More

The Australia Institute made a submission to the Planning Assessment Commission on the Springvale Colliery Extension Proposal. Our submission relates to the various economic assessments and reviews of economic assessments in relation to this project. Controversy has surrounded the economic assessment of the Springvale project, resulting in various assessments, submissions, responses and reviews. None of the assessments comply with the NSW Guideli... Read More

‘Now of course I am minimizing my tax and if anybody in this country doesn't minimize their tax they want their heads read…’ - Kerry Packer giving evidence to the 1991 House of Representatives Committee of Inquiry into the Australian Print Media Industry when questioned about his tax payments.On 2 October 2014 the Senate referred an inquiry into corporate tax avoidance to the Senate Economics References Committee for inquiry with the fo... Read More

Submission to Senate Inquiries on the Higher Education and Research Reform Bill 2014The debate about how high fees could go under deregulation has largely missed a more important question. When students pay more, what will they be paying for? If the HELP system is a way to pay for a service, shouldn’t higher HELP debts go towards better service? Analysis of university budgets shows universities already overcharge students, in order to use st... Read More

The Deloitte Access Economics (DAE) assessment of the economic impacts of the Mt Owen continued operations project has significant flaws which overstate the value of the project and mislead decision makers. The assessment does not make clear the costs and the benefits of the project to NSW, contrary to Director Generals Requirements. Instead, it compares international financial impacts which largely accrue to overseas shareholders with the enviro... Read More

The Australia Institute made a submission to the Senate Economics Committee inquiry into Corporations Legislation Amendment (Deregulatory and Other Measures) Bill 2014. Our key concern is that the repeal of the rule permitting 100 members to call an extraordinary general meeting . Repealing this rule would be an obstacle to civil society, which increasingly plays an important role using shareholder activism in pursuit of socially responsibly corp... Read More

This inquiry has been established to examine the so called “Asset Recycling Program”. In 2013 state, territory and federal treasurers agreed to the program, under which the states would receive incentives from the federal government to privatise assets in order to promote the building of new infrastructure projects.The asset recycling program will cost the federal government $5 billion. Details of the program payments were presented in a press re... Read More

The Senate referred an inquiry into corporate tax avoidance to the Senate Economic References Committee. The Australia Institute submitted a submission to the inquiry focusing, in particular, on non-arms length licensing royalties between related parties. This submission does not address the whole field of tax avoidance.

The Australia Institute made a submission to South Australia’s Natural Resources Committee Inquiry into unconventional gas. Our submission focuses on the potential net economic outcomes to the region and the rest of the state. The net economic effects of gas development in South Australia are likely to be small: There would be minimal impact on gas prices as South Australia is connected to the East Coast gas market and through it to world markets... Read More

The Australia Institute made a submission to the Select Committee inquiry into Certain Aspects of Queensland Government Administration related to Commonwealth Government Affairs. Our submission focused on the use of economics in major project assessment processes. Approval processes for major projects in Queensland have seen the misuse of various tools of economic assessment. In particular cost benefit analysis has not been used in assessments, w... Read More

The Australia Institute is the country’s most influential progressive think tank. We conduct research on a broad range of economic, social and environmental issues in order to inform public debate and bring greater accountability to the democratic process.